IS JOYCE MEYER WORD OF FAITH - Geeky Christian

IS JOYCE MEYER

WORD OF FAITH?

BY SHAWN NELSON

? 2014 by Shawn Nelson Published by Geeky Christian Temecula, CA Printed in the United States of America Is Joyce Meyer Word of Faith? by Shawn Nelson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor. The licensor permits others to copy, distribute and transmit the work. In return, licensees may not use the work for commercial purposes--unless they get the licensor's permission. The licensor permits others to copy, distribute and transmit only unaltered copies of the work--not derivative works based on it.

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About Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer is one the most influential religious teachers of our day. Her radio ministry reaches an estimated three billion people worldwide. She has become a New York Times bestselling author, with 70 books to her name and is received with rock star status at over a dozen worldwide conferences each year.1 Many are inspired by her story: nearly her entire childhood marred with horrific sexual abuse, she overcame, and maintaining a positive attitude, has attained unfathomable success. Her transparent, direct, highly practical teaching style appeals to many.

Controversy

Yet her teaching is not without controversy. Websites, articles, books and video documentaries can be found which attempt to connect Joyce Meyer to outspoken Word of Faith teachers. Some material is more balanced than others. This book is an obvious attempt to answer the question Is Joyce Meyer Word of Faith? while remaining as fair to Joyce Meyer as possible.

1 FAQ, Joyce Meyer Ministries, accessed November 20, 2014, , FAQ item 1.

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First, What Does She Say?

If we were to ask Joyce, Are you a Word of Faith teacher? how would she respond? Apparently, many have asked her this question--it`s listed on her Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Her response:

Joyce Meyer Ministries believes in the Word of God. Joyce teaches that God has made promises to us in His Word and as believers, we should trust His promises (see 2 Peter 1:3,4). However, it can be damaging when people place their faith in faith alone instead of placing their faith in God. Misappropriation of God`s promises solely for personal gain is not scripturally supported.2

What about whether she is a prosperity gospel preacher? There`s an entry for that too:

Joyce Meyer Ministries believes that God desires to bless His people. Joyce teaches that God`s blessings and prosperity apply to the spiritual, emotional, physical and financial areas of life. These blessings and prosperity are then to be used to bless others (see Genesis 12:2). A prosperity gospel that solely equates blessing with financial gain is out of balance and could damage a person`s walk with God.3

2 Ibid., FAQ item 13. 3 Ibid., FAQ item 14.

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I`m convinced that the many people who took the time to ask these questions want concrete answers, and that they will find both of these statements the same way I do: unsatisfactory! Is that a yes? Or a no? What exactly is she saying? Worse, on her FAQ page it says she is non-denominational.4 Then where did her enormous ministry come from? Which group, exactly, is she aligned with?

A Careful Investigation Is Needed

Serious challenges await anybody wanting to know Joyce`s position on the Word of Faith movement. She`s not a theologian and her teaching is not systematic. Therefore, we only get bits and pieces of her theology at any given time. The phrase Word of Faith is completely absent from her written teaching. She does not mention any Word of Faith teachers by name. She seems to be acutely aware that her doctrine is under heavy scrutiny and seems to craft her opinions in a way which avoids dividing her fan base. It`s clear that a more careful investigation is needed. Therefore, four categories will be examined to see whether Joyce Meyer is indeed Word of Faith or not. These areas are (1) her education, (2) her

4 Ibid., FAQ item 12.

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